Cosmetic surgery, or “plastic surgery” as it’s often referred to, is surgery in which the principle purpose is to improve the appearance. (Farlex 2012) In 2012 there were more than 236,000 cosmetic surgeries done for minor’s ages 13 through 19. The most common surgery is nose reshaping, and following close behind are tummy ticks, liposuction, and breast augmentations. Being a teenager myself, I cannot justify having these kinds of surgeries. Seeing as our bodies are still in the process of developing, surgery should not be an option. Many teenagers, both male and female, are subjected to images they see in the media and try their best to attain physical perfection. Due to issues such as low self-confidence and bullying, young people feel the need to change their outer appearance in order to fit in with their peers.
With “role models” such as reality star Kylie Jenner (who recently turned 18) receiving 200,000 likes on each Instagram …show more content…
While these are positive results in theory, the teenager is experiencing them for all the wrong reasons. Many are still learning self-confidence and shouldn’t gain that solely through their appearance. Allowing young people to get plastic surgery for this reason teaches them that your outer appearance is all that matters and your personality and unique traits are secondary.
Not only is plastic surgery physically harmful for developing teenagers, it also takes a toll on their mental state. Our teenage years are the times when we are first learning what it means to be “ourselves”. If we allow teenagers to alter their appearance before they are finished fully developing they may never truly come to terms with who they
With “role models” such as reality star Kylie Jenner (who recently turned 18) receiving 200,000 likes on each Instagram …show more content…
While these are positive results in theory, the teenager is experiencing them for all the wrong reasons. Many are still learning self-confidence and shouldn’t gain that solely through their appearance. Allowing young people to get plastic surgery for this reason teaches them that your outer appearance is all that matters and your personality and unique traits are secondary.
Not only is plastic surgery physically harmful for developing teenagers, it also takes a toll on their mental state. Our teenage years are the times when we are first learning what it means to be “ourselves”. If we allow teenagers to alter their appearance before they are finished fully developing they may never truly come to terms with who they